This spectacular international show was entirely consistent with Pharrell Williams’ status in Louis Vuitton’s mind to this day.
About 1,200 guests attended the brand’s surf-themed pre-fall menswear show in Hong Kong on Thursday night at the Avenue of Stars on the Victoria Harbor waterfront. Celebrities from Hong Kong and across Asia including Hong Kong actors Chow Yun-fat and Carrie Lam, K-pop star and brand ambassador Felix of Stray Kids, Taiwanese actors Lin Baihong and Liu Yihao, Wang Hedi from China and Japanese actor Hirano Shiyao watched from the front row , and Hélène Mercier Arnault, the wife of Bernard Arnault.
Trip to Hong Kong—Pharrell Williams explains his first pre-fall collection for Louis Vuitton men’s wear
There was sand on the ground, a ukulele player, a model lineup including a Hawaiian surfer, and above the Hong Kong skyline, drones performed light shows of various shapes in the sky. The excitement reached a crescendo when Williams walked down the runway with the models.
The display announced the importance of Hong Kong and Asia to the brand. Pietro Beccari, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, told Vogue Business before the show: “The skyline of Hong Kong is deeply rooted in people’s hearts. This road is usually used by two million people every day. We blocked it for two days for the big show.” ” He called coming to Hong Kong “a decision from the heart.”
Louis Vuitton pre-fall 2024 menswear.
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Hong Kong’s luxury goods industry is picking up since the border with mainland China reopened in February 2023. The city’s location brings advantages. Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok are less than four hours’ flight away. “Hong Kong is the center of Asia,” the executive pointed out.
Holding such a show in the current economic climate, when brands are more likely to limit investment, is a bold move. “As usual, we accelerated through the turns,” Beccari said. The executive, who was appointed in January, is known for bold moves: During his tenure as CEO of Dior, he held physical shows during the pandemic, including a 2022 show in front of the Egyptian pyramids, building top-notch retail stores and experiences, and raise the standard of flagship stores across the luxury industry through the reopening of Dior’s historic flagship store. For Beccari, destination shows like this are worth the investment. “As a travel brand, Louis Vuitton needs to be exposed to different cultures.”
